by Juliana Ferrie
Up and down the bustling streets of Spain’s capital, Madrid, bakeries line the roads waiting for hungry passersby to enter. But during one May weekend, colorful statues and bright pastries called rosquillas accompany usual window displays of sweets — something out of the ordinary.
These delicacies make an annual appearance for the celebration of San Isidro — the patron saint of Madrid. Although the saint is celebrated May 15, the festival’s activities also take place leading up to his feast day.
Rosquillas are pastries similar to doughnuts. The sweets have four different types: rosquillas tontas, rosquillas listas, rosquillas de Santa Clara and rosquillas francesas.
Rosquillas tontas, which translates to “the dumb ones,” are regular doughnuts without any coatings or glaze. They are a dark tan color, and as the name suggests, they look plain.
Las listas translates to “the smart ones” and are a vibrant yellow color. These doughnuts are coated in lemon glaze, giving them their easy-to-spot appearance and tangy taste.
The next type, called las rosquillas de Santa Clara, can be distinguished by their merengue coating — a white, hard icing made with sugar and egg whites. These rosquillas earned their name because they are created using a recipe from the nuns of Santa Clara, located in the central Monasterio de la Visitación.
Lastly, las francesas are rosquillas that have both almonds and a white glaze on their exterior.
In the slideshow, photos of the four different kinds of rosquillas are pictured in the following order: las rosquillas francesas, las rosquillas listas, las rosquillas tontas and las rosquillas de Santa Clara. Photos by Juliana Ferrie
Rosquillas have a simple recipe: The ingredients are flour, sugar, powdered yeast, eggs, olive oil and aniseeds, which is a plant rich in nutrients.
This year, with the celebration of the 400th anniversary of San Isidro’s canonization, a special doughnut called the “Rosquilla del Año Santo” — or the Holy Year doughnut — could be found in patisseries marked with the Madrid Artisan Pastry quality seal.
This new rosquilla recipe is different from the others because the pastries are coated in chocolate.
History of Las Rosquillas in Madrid
With a history dating back to the Roman Empire, rosquillas are specifically eaten in Madrid to celebrate San Isidro. It is believed this pastry may have originated in either Villarejo de Salvanés or Fuenlabrada, which according to the official website of Madrid tourism, are towns with “a long doughnut tradition.”
Townspeople would travel to Madrid in the 19th century to sell these doughnuts honoring San Isidro, especially during the pilgrimage to the San Isidro Meadow. Today, it is known as the Park of San Isidro, and even now, locals gather at the spot to celebrate the feast day activities.
In addition, tradition also attributes San Isidro’s rosquillas to Tia Javiera, who was a pastry chef with a story falling to legend. It’s believed she used to sell her rosquillas, which she soaked in brandy and made without sugar, at festivals.
The memory and legend of Tia Javiera are maintained through songs and skits.
Leticia Pascual Valmo, a Madrid tour guide, said the festival is a very holy day in Madrid, and the various kinds of rosquillas can be found in bakeries everywhere during this time.
“This is typical in Madrid,” Pascual Valmo said, “but only for one week leading up to the holy day.”
However, when asked, Pascual Valmo had a different take on the pastry’s history, saying there’s no meaning behind the sweet itself.
“It’s just to celebrate,” she said.
She said the presence of rosquillas during San Isidro festivities is similar to Spanish sweets specifically served for Easter and Christmas.
For instance, she said torrijas are typically eaten in the country for Easter. It is described as being similar to French toast but can be soaked in different ingredients, making it different from the milk-soaked food familiar to Americans.
“Every festivity has a typical sweet,” she said.
Tasting Madrid’s Rosquillas
At La Mallorquina, three kinds of rosquillas are proudly displayed in its window with a sign stating, “Las Rosquillas más madrileñas” — meaning “the most Madrilenian rosquillas.” The store first opened in Puerta del Sol in 1894.
While all delicious-looking, one’s eye is drawn to las rosquillas listas (“the smart ones”) and las rosquillas de Santa Clara. For €1.10 each, you can get a taste of the traditional rosquillas for yourself.
Las rosquillas listas was the first doughnut to be tasted. After being handed the pastry within the quaint, crowded bakery, one notices the hard texture of the doughnut. It felt much firmer than other typical doughnuts and was about the size of a Dunkin’ Donuts munchkin.
Biting into the yellow rosquilla, you are met with the tart taste of lemon mixed with the flaky, floury texture of the doughnut itself. The frosting was hardened on the pastry, and it crumbled in your mouth along with the layered doughnut.
In some ways, the rosquilla reminds you of eating a cookie rather than a doughnut. Overall, la rosquilla lista was a good balance between the amount of dough and frosting to create a delicious combination.
The second pastry — la rosquilla de Santa Clara — also had a hint of lemon in its taste. While one once again expected the pastry to be soft, it was crunchy and flaky. The sugar of the merengue coating had a vibrant flavor and was all-in-all different in taste from las rosquillas listas despite having a similar composition.
Alejandra Fernández Mora, a 20-year-old Universidad Europea de Madrid student studying medicine, said las rosquillas listas are her favorite of the pastries. In particular, she likes the lemon taste of the doughnut.
“I don’t know anything about their history, but they [las rosquillas] are a fun part of the festival to look forward to,” she said.
Close-ups of la rosquilla lista and la rosquilla de Santa Clara from La Mallorquina May 16. These rosquillas are sold to celebrate the feast day of San Isidro May 15 and can be found in bakeries leading up to the celebration. Photos by Juliana Ferrie
A Further Look into the Festival: Who was St. Isidro Labrador?
The streets of Madrid are no stranger to liveliness, but the festival adds a whole new element. Men, women and children proudly sport the traditional chulapo and chulapa outfits, couples dance the “chotis” in the street and concerts take place in plazas throughout the city.
“It’s Madrid’s one big giant party,” Fernández Mora said.
A chulapa outfit for women consists of a skirt or long dress. Oftentimes, these outfits have polka dots on them in red, black and white combinations. Around their shoulders, an embroidered shawl may rest, drawing one’s eyes to the red carnation also typically worn in their hair.
Men wear checkered vests, black slacks and white button-up shirts. A red carnation also makes an appearance in their outfit.
In this video, couples can be seen dancing the chotis in the streets of Madrid May 15. Video by Juliana Ferrie
During the festival, participants honor their patron saint by visiting and celebrating mass at San Isidro Church, which is where the saint’s remains can also be venerated. In addition, pilgrims may visit the San Isidro Museum to drink water said to be blessed by the saint.
The museum is built around a well San Isidro’s son once fell into. After he prayed to God to fill the well with water to save his son, it did just that. The water is said to have magical properties, especially on his feast day.
St. Isidro Labrador was born around 1080 and is also the patron saint of farmers. He was raised in Madrid in a house near where Calle de las Aguas is presently. He became an orphan and worked as a wellman and then a farmer.
Throughout his life, he performed several miracles. In total, more than 400 miracles are attributed to San Isidro. His wife, Santa María de la Cabeza, is also a saint. About 20 years after his death, his remains were exhumed as a result of excess rain. After being unearthed, his body was found in a state of incorruptibility.
In 1619, he was beatified and was canonized in 1622. For the 400th anniversary of his sainthood, San Isidro’s remains were viewable for the first time in 40 years.
Celebrating San Isidro takes on many forms in Madrid. While many traditional activities honor the patron saint, one can also take part in the celebration by quenching your sweet tooth. What better way to do so than with las rosquillas?
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